The leadership in Six Nations of the Grand River announced Wednesday evening that one of their members has died of COVID-19.
“Our community is grieving today and our hearts and prayers are with the family,” said Chief Mark Hill in a post on Facebook. “The loss comes less than two weeks after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in our community on Mar. 28.”
The death marks the first time the novel coronavirus has claimed the life of an Indigenous person inside a community.
Six Nation currently has eight confirmed cases on the territory – more than any other First Nation, Metis or Inuit community in Canada.
The Kahnawake Mohawk Territory south of Montreal has five positive cases and down the road, Akwesasne Mohawk Territory has one case.
In northern Quebec, the Canadian Rangers are set to move in to help the 14 Inuit communities in Nunavik. Two communities there have members who have tested positive.
During his Facebook message, Hill reminded members to report to the Six Nations COVID-19 Information and Assessment Centre if they have any symptoms.
For more information on the novel coronavirus, click here: COVID-19
